Shemar Stewart and the Bengals have been at odds over 'double standard' according to NFL insider

Shemar Stewart's rookie contract wasn't the only document the Cincinnati Bengals' first-round pick has yet to sign.

Cincinnati's first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft did not practice with the team throughout rookie minicamp, voluntary workouts, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp (in which he left early) as he declined to sign both his rookie contract offer and what's known as the Rookie Participation Agreement. The latter is designed to allow unsigned rookies to practice throughout the offseason while their actual contract is being negotiated, protecting the value of the contract in case of injury.  

By not signing the agreement, many assumed Stewart was simply not practicing as a leverage play against the club. He's contesting the Bengals adding new default language in their contracts. A new report suggests Stewart also had issues with the participation agreement's wording. 

Shemar Stewart didn't sign Bengals' Rookie Participation Agreement due to language

Much like rookie contracts, teams can include differing language in the participation agreements according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero. Stewart didn't sign the Bengals' version, per Pelissero, since their language didn't protect him compared to other rookies around the league.  

"Shemar Stewart didn't want to sign the participation agreement that the Bengals had because of the way that theirs is worded," Pelissero said on the Rich Eisen Show. "Because every team has different language, it did not provide the same level of protection as other teams give their rookies."

Pelissero also mentioned Cincinnati's language in its participation agreements haven't changed from previous years. It's the same agreement last year's first-rounder Amarius Mims signed last year, and the team stood by that.

In essence, Stewart doesn't want to sign his rookie contract because of language that's different from past contracts the team has offered, but he didn't sign the participation agreement because it was different from what other teams offered. 

"But the argument in that case was, 'Hey, I should be treated like all the other rookies around the NFL.'" Pelissero explained. "And the Bengals were saying, 'Well, no, this is our language. This is what Amarius Mims and everybody else before you had.' Well, it's exactly the opposite on the contract, which is the Bengals are saying, "We want to give you this language.' Shemar Stewart's saying, 'I want to be treated like all the other players in this locker room, like Amarius Mims.' They're saying, 'Well, no, this is what we're now going to do with this language to match other teams.'

"You've kind of got this double standard here that that has not struck Shemar Stewart or his agent well."